Josh van der Flier believes Leinster will have added motivation as the province prepares for its final season under Leo Cullen.
Leinster’s players are determined to send Leo Cullen out on a high as the long-serving head coach begins his final campaign in charge of the province.
Cullen will step away when his current contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, bringing his 12-year spell as Leinster head coach to a close.
For Josh van der Flier, Cullen’s departure will represent the end of an era. The Ireland flanker has spent his entire senior provincial career with Cullen as one of the central figures in the Leinster set-up.
Van der Flier said it would be sad to see Cullen leave and that Leinster want to make his final season a good one.
End of a Leinster era
Cullen first represented Leinster as a player in 1998. After two spells with the province and a period with Leicester Tigers, he returned to Dublin and eventually moved into coaching.
He became Leinster’s head coach in 2015 and has overseen one of the most successful periods in the province’s history, including domestic and European honours.
Leinster have continued to compete regularly at the closing stages of the Champions Cup, although their failure to add another European title since the 2018 triumph in Bilbao has brought growing scrutiny.
Van der Flier defends Cullen
Van der Flier expressed sympathy for the criticism Cullen has faced following Leinster’s recent European disappointments. He argued that the outcome of major knockout matches can turn on individual moments that cannot always be placed at the head coach’s door.
The 33-year-old is entering another important season of his own. After Ireland’s demanding summer programme in Australia and New Zealand, he has been reviewing his performances with Leinster’s coaches and identifying areas in which he can continue to improve.
The 2027 Rugby World Cup also remains on the horizon. Van der Flier has already appeared at two World Cups and will hope to remain a central part of Andy Farrell’s plans for the tournament in Australia.
Before that, Leinster have a full season and several major trophies to contest. Cullen’s confirmed departure gives the campaign an added storyline, but the province will want the focus to remain firmly on performances rather than allowing the year to become an extended farewell.
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